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[Page 45]
having made very little progress, owing to the nature of country & enemy machine guns. Things did not look too promising for our troops, as we had to do the job in one day, owing to water & transport difficulties. At 4.15orders came to collect all wounded & retire, as enemy reinforcements were on the way from Kahn Yunis & Shellal. The Yeomanry who had been fighting all day received the order & retired on the tick, but through a very fortunate error, the N.Z. or our General did not receive it, so kept at the enemy. Gen. Cox was not more than a mile from the firing line during the whole action & his Bde. were doing fine work under his orders. The N.Z. mounted under Gen. Chaytor brought off a fine charge & carried two redoubts, then the whole line advanced & Rafa was in our hands with all hands, including 20 Hun officers & men; 30 Turkish officers, 1500 other ranks; 4 guns; 15 machine guns; 3000 rifles, stores, ammunition & the whole of their camel & other transport. Fully 300 Turkish dead were in the trenches & redoubts & 260 wounded went through our hands. Our casualties were 93 killed, 11 died of wounds & 370 wounded. We had a busy time on the field with wounded, having to gallop within 200 yds. of the firing line with the wagons for the wounded. My mate, Robinson hit in the